Display-can.



No. 803,858. PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905. J. SCHNABEL. DISPLAY CAN.

APPLICATION FILED APB,.10,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

J. SCHNABEL.

DISPLAY CAN.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN SOHNABEL, OF BUFFALO, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TlON OF NEWV JERSEY.

DISPLAY-CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed April 10, 1905. Serial No. 254,794.

To ttZZ whom, it puny concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SOHNABEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Display-Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cans intended to serve as display-receptacles for bakery, confectionery, and similar goods, which cans are commonly made of sheet metal, such as tin, in rectangular form and provided with a hinged lid or cover.

More particularly, the type of can to which my invention relates is distinguished by the provision of an open-work or skeleton front side or face containing two or more panels, one of which has a backing of transparent material, such as glass, designed to attractively display the contained goods, While the other contains a plate carrying the name of the manufacturer or otherwise indicating the source or origin of the goods. In such boxes it is highly desirable and practically a necessity on the score of cleanliness that both panelplates be' made removable, so that they may be readily cleaned or renewed when soiled, worn, or broken when the can is returned to the factory empty to be refilled and sent out again. Hitherto fastening devices of various kindshave been employed to removably fasten the panel-plates securely in proper position behind the panel-openings, and so far as I am aware such fastening devices have taken the form of members independentof the panelplates and walls or frame of the can.

The object of my invention is to simplify the means heretofore employed for removably securing the panel-plates in the panel-frame or front wall of the can by doing away with such independent or extraneous fastening means, and this object I accomplish principally through a construction of one of the panels and its guiding or confining means, whereby said panel is caused to overlap the adjacent margin of the other panel-plate and hold the latter in operative position.

My invention in its preferred mechanical form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a displaycan embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof through the front and rear walls. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the side walls, showing the inner side of the front wall and its contained panel-plates and also illustrating a slightlyrnodified form of upper panel-plate in respect to the portion thereof which engages and operates as a fastening medium for the lower transparent panel-plate. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the front portion of the body of the can or box, the lid being removed; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view. looking down through the same parts, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 10 may designate the bottom wall, 11 the two parallel side walls, 12 the rear wall, 13 the paneled front wall, and 1 1 the hinged lid or cover, of a rectangular box or can of the class to which my invention relates. 1n the preferred form the walls and cover of the can are made of tin with interlocked joints at the various corners and angles, as shown, with the exception of the paneled front wall, which, for the sake of attractiveness of appearance, is preferably of sheet brass or copper. The upper edges of the side and rear walls are stiffened to afford the requisite rigidity by being bent inwardly and downwardly to create hollow ribs triangular in cross-section, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 at 11 and 12*, and a similar strengthening-rib 15 is formed on a metal strip 15, that extends between the upper ends of the sides just in rear of the upper end of the paneled front plate. Said front plate 13 has the metal thereof out out in the form of a pair of parallel upper and lower oblong openings 16 and 17 respectively, the metal at the margins of said openings being inwardly turnedor beveled, as shown at 16 and 17, to thereby produce a paneled effect in the front or face wall of the can.

The parts as thus far described constitute structural features of a can now in use, toward the improvement of which my present invention is directed. Heretofore in such cans the panel-openings have been closed by a lower panel-plate of glass and an upper panel-plate of sheet metal or other material bearing the name or source of manufacture of the contained goods, and these panel-plates have been secured in their respective positions with capacity for removal by various kinds of fastenings of a more or less complicated nature and requiring considerablemanual manipulation both in inserting and removing the panel-plates, besides taking up valuable space in the can.- The gist of my invention resides in a construction of one of said panel -plates and means for retaining same in position, which permits a longitudinal edge of said panel-plate to be extended so as to overlap and hold against the margin of the opening the adjacent edge of the companion panel-plate.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that between the upper edge of the front or face wall and the strengthening-rib 15 behind and parallel with the same is a space 18, open at its upper end, through which may be inserted and removed the upper panel-plate 19, which in this instance is a sheet-metal plate designed to display on its outer face letters or characters indicating the source of manufacture of the contained goods. This panelplate, as herein shown, is a plain flat rectangular sheet, preferably rounded at the corners and having depending from its lower edge an integral lip 20, slightly bent or turned in wardly of the box, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. To the inner face of the front plate 13, just behind the ends of the upper panel-opening 16, are soldered or otherwise secured a pair of vertical slideways or guides 21 (shown in full lines in the rear view, Fig. 3) to receive the lower corners and end portions of the panel 19 and hold the same against the inwardly-turned edge 16 of the panel-opening, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. 22 designates a flat glass plate, the lower edge of which reaches substantially to the bottom of the can and is engaged by a central upstanding clip 23, preferably of a somewhat elastic nature, to hold the lower portion of the glass plate against the inwardly-turned, margin 17 of the opening 17 and prevent the glass from rattling. The upper margin of the glass plate '22 after said plate has been set in place is overlapped by the lip 20 of the upper name-plate 19 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 2, said inclined lip serving to wedge and force the upper portion of the glass against the inwardly-turned edge of the panel-opening, and thus cooperating with the clip 23 to hold the glass securely in place and covering the lower opening.

Fig. 3 illustrates a slight modification in form of the overlapping lip on the lower margin of the upper panel-plate. This modification consists in scalloping the lower edge of said lip to produce a series of short depending fingers 20, each bearing against the upper edge of the lower panel-plate. This construction provides a series of bearing-points in lieu of the continuous bearing of Figs. 1 and 2, being quite as effective as the continuous bearing and requiring slightly less metal, and to that extent lessening the weight of the can. Furthermore, each of the fingers or lugs 2O being capable of accommodating itself independently of the others to a snug bearing behind the upper margin of the lower plate, said construction practically insures a holding engagement of the upper panel-plate upon the lower plate longitudinally coextensive with the overlapping lip, whereas in the solid construction of Figs. 1 and 2 shouldsaid lip become warped or unevenly bent it might engage the glass panel-plate throughout a comparatively limited portion of its entire length only. Where the scalloped form of overlapping lip (shown in Figs. 3 and 5) is employed, the bearing lugs or fingers are preferably rounded or blunted, so as not to present sharp points which might injure the hand in withdrawing the goods from the boX.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in order to remove the panel-plates 19 and 22 it is necessary only to first withdraw the upper plate 19 and then simply lift the lower plate out of the can. My invention thus dispenses with the necessity of buttons, springfingers, and similar auxiliary devices heretofore employed for holding the lower portion of the upper panel-plate and the upper portion of the lower panel-plate in position behind and against the panel-openings, thus simplifying the construction, reducing the cost, and lessening the required manipulation of the parts involved in withdrawing and inserting the plates.

I claim- 1. A display-can of the character described having upper and lower openings in its front wall and removable plates covering said openings, the lower marginal portion of the upper plate being formed as an inwardly-bent inclined lip overlapping the upper marginal portion of the lower plate and wedging the same against the margin of the opening, and means for holding said overlapping plate in position, substantially as described.

2. A display-can of the character described having upper and lower openings 'in its front wall, a removable transparent plate in rear of said lower opening, and a removable nameplate behind said upper opening, the lower marginal portion of said upper plate being formed as an inwardly-bent inclined lip overlapping the upper marginal portion of the lower plate and wedging the latter against the margin of the opening, and guides engaging the ends of said name-plate, substantially as described.

3. A display-can of the character described having upper and lower panel-openings in its front wall formed with inwardly-turned edges, a removable glass plate in rear of said lower opening, and a removable-sheet-metal nameplate behind said upper opening, the lower marginal portion of said upper plate being formed as an inwardly-bent inclined lip overlapping the upper marginal portion of the lower plate and wedging the latter against the IIO I ing formed as an inwardly-bent inclined lip having a scalloped lower edge overlapping the upper margin of the lower plate and contacting the same at a plurality of points, and guides engaging said upper panel-plate and holding the same in position, substantially as I5 described.

JOHN SCHNABEL. Witnesses:

SETH S. SPENCER, Jr., RoY E. TOMLINSON. 

